Question

If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?

According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.

The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.

A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of "early bilinguals" who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.

Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.

"Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language," said the scientists.

It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.

Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. "Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (靈活的),"he said. "You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas."

The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. "Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world," explained the scientists.

1.The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.

A. science on learning a second language

B. man’s ability of learning a second language

C. 1anguage can help brain power

D. 1anguage learning and maths study

2.In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to ______.

A. say language is also a kind of physical labor

B. prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language

C. to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language

D. make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well

3.The underlined word “bilingual'’ probably means ______.

A. a researcher on language learning

B. a person who is good at learning foreign languages

C. a person who can speak two languages

D. an active language learner

Answer 1

1.C

2.D

3.C

【解析】

試題分析：研究顯示，學習一門外語能夠提升大腦的能力。這是因為學習外語改變了大腦的灰質，大腦灰質負責對信息進行加工。研究還發(fā)現(xiàn)，越早開始學習外語，這種效果就越明顯。

1.learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power”和第三段“The study also found the effect is greater when the younger people learn a second language.”及最后一段“The findings were matched in a study of...”可知，文章主要講的是一項研究成果，即學習外語能夠提升大腦的能力，故選C。

2.learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power...This is the area of the brain which processes information.”可知，學習外語能夠增強大腦處理信息的能力，根據(jù)“It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.”可知，鍛煉身體能夠增強肌肉力量，同樣，學習外語也能提升大腦的能力。作者作者把學習外語比作身體鍛煉是想讓大家相信學習語言能夠幫助增強大腦灰質的活性，故選D。

3.who had learnt a second language before the age of five”可知，劃線詞指的是學習了第二種語言的人，故選C。

考點：科學類短文閱讀